War Thoughts
by The Lad and The Wildcat
Summary: Ranger re-enlists after he feels he should do something for his country. Stephanie is torn by this as the war has already claimed so many lives and he can't assure her that he can make it home in one peace. Ranger believes that he will and that if not then his sacrifice would be a just cause and an honourable one. Will he make it home to his beloved?
1. Chapter 1

Ranger sat there amongst the row of young men. Most of them inexperienced in combat, a few of them a few years in the military, but just fresh out of Ranger training. These young boys didn't know what to expect, but he did. He knew all to well what modern combat was like. He had already experienced combat at their age. He knew combat, but war was something else. Never had the US military engaged in a full out conflict in modern war against an enemy who equalled them at some level.

This wasn't Iraq or Afghanistan they were facing. They be up against a western trained army if you call it that. They had the capability of inficting mass casulties on the US and her allies. They already did.

He had been spending that day with her, that peaceful wonderful morning which was shattered with the President's announcment. He had decicded to take time off with her as he felt they both needed time alone and far away from work as possible. Stephanie had a way of being curious to say the least. She liked to help others, but loved to be nosy and Ranger knew all to well how much trouble she seemed to stumbe on or into.

Ranger had just ordered the two of them coffee when someone had hushed all the customers and turned up the volume on the television. All eyes were now drawn as the headline read ' _WAR'_ and the president gave his speech. When the speech had finished everyone was talking. As usual some brushed it off and others didn't stop talking about it.

Stephanie though had gone quiet. Her hand reached over to his and he squeezed it gently. His thumb running over the back of her hand. Ranger smiled at her and they ignored the voices around them. If only he knew then, that eight months later he would be sitting here now.

Barely two months had passed and already the War's casulties were returning home. The news broadcasted on every network as the bodies of fallen heroes were brought home to be laid to rest. Something at that moment stirred in Ranger. He knew what it was and knew what he had to do. He had to help, he had to renlist. His thoughts plagued him for another month as he watched more coffins draped with the Stars and Stripes return from overseas.

Stephanie had tried to talk to him and he had tried to explain what he was feeling. She had cried when he told her the news he was renlisting. She had yelled and pointed at the scrren pleading that he not become one of them. He assured her that would never happen but it wasn't enough. She needed more assurance, for in war nothing is certain.

The army was glad to accept him back. With a distinguished career and combat experience he was the type of man they needed. Tank his loyal friend had renlisted with him and the pair of them had been tasked with training the newly passed out recruits. Now with is all over they were heading overseas.

It was at that moment that Ranger realised he never said goodbye properly. He may never see her again. He was afraid, but not of dying no. He feared he would forget her. Forget her sweet smell, her soft touch, her lively ans stubborn spirit, her gentle yet contageous laugh that made him chuckle, her warmth on those cold nights, but what if he forgot her name. he feared that the most.

 **I will continue this.**


	2. Chapter 2

Ranger stood on top of the crest over looking the battlefield, the smoke still towered high into the sky, the fires still burned and his body ached from exhaustion. The screams has stopped though and that was a relief. For two days they had fought to hold this ridge, for two days they had to listen to men scream out in pain, men cry through the night.

' _Men? They were barely men_ ,' Ranger said to himself. They were still just boys. Boys who had wanted to serve for one reason or another.

' _Perhaps honour or adventure. Whatever the reason sixty of them would be returning to heartbroken families. Another forty and counting had been wounded._ ' Ranger pondered on each one of their names. He remembered the faces. Ten percent of those listed as dead were Rangers. A high cost in two days of fighting as Rangers are an elite unit and require extensive training to produce a single effecient soldier.

By the time he recounted all the names and faces the sun was setting and a cold biting wind began to blow. It cleared the smoke away and the fires were left to burn out. He stared across the field and down the ridge, its smooth slopes were now jarred by heavy shelling. the gras was no longer green and in most places there wasn't any grass. He looked out beyond the ridge and its slopes, to the west he noticed the forest and imagined all kinds of wildlife that must have seeked shelter from man's destructive power. Then his thoughts drifted back to her.

 _She was running ahead of him, his hand reached out to grab her but she swatted it away and ran further ahead. They were in the woods and bright autumn colours surrounded them. They leaves fell ever so gracefully at the sign of a small breeze. The atmosphere was filled with her perfume and he gave chase after her._

 _She stood still in the middle of a fork in the track, her hands behing her back and she was staring at him. She seemed confused at first, but then smiled at him. He took a step forward and looked down as he kicked a small branch. He heard her voice and he looked up and she was no longer their. He called her name once and turned in evry direction_

 _'Do you remember which way is home?' her voice echoed to him and he spun round finding standing a few feet away between each fork in the path._

 _'What?' Ranger asked._

 _'Do you remember your way home?' her voice echoed louder and he noticed the wind blow stronger. The leaves on the ground whirled around him and the forest darkened. He struggled to keep her in sight as leaves and dirt battered into his face making him throw up his arms._

 _'Do you remember your way home?' her voice echoed over the wind._

 _'Yes I remember.' Ranger yelled at his loudest and suddenly the wind stopped, they sky cleared and the forest lit up again and there she stood in front of him. Her hair falling over her shoulders and she held his hands in hers. They were warm as always._

 _'Then why did you leave?' she asked and Ranger saw her face change. She stood in full combat gear and fatigues. Her face was covered in mud and dried blood. Around him was the battlefield and the bodies of men. Fires raged all around and he could even taste the burning atmosphere with each breath._

 _He stepped back away from her and she stared confused and saddened at him. He shook his head and looked at the blood on his own hands._

 _'No. No, no , no, no, no. What is this? Stop.' Ranger said stepping further away and looking all around him. Then he heard a familar voice. It came from a shadow moving towards him. The shadow kept calling him and came at him through the smoke._

'Ranger,' Tank slapped his shoulder hard and Ranger turned towards him. 'What's the matter with you?'

 **Hope you Enjoy. :D**


	3. Chapter 3

Ranger tumbled down the hillside, his body being battered by the ground as he fell further and further down. Trying to control himself and steady his body he crashed hard into a rock, but that merely only slowed his descent and he felt a new burning pain sear through his body. By the time he stopped, plunging into a muddy watery ditch all he could do was scream out in agony as the bone in his forearm prodded through his skin. Worst yet was how he couldn't move. He had been shot three times which had caused him to fall in the first place.

The first had hit him in the chest knocking him backwards before the second struck his thigh and the last low where his body armour failed to protect him. Falling backwards he couldn't prevent and down the hill he had tumbled. Lying there in the ditch screaming until the pain subsided he dared not move. His breathing became ragged and he coughed knowing that he must have a collapsed lung.

Rolling painfully onto his back he winced and gritted his teeth hard before pushing his head up onto the ditches muddy wall, so he could at least keep his head out of the freezing water and breathe easier. Looking up Ranger could only see grey skies and the sound of battle from above. He worried for his men and tried to make some sort of movement only for his body to deny him. It felt like a huge weight was pressed on him and he wheezed trying to force himself again.

After a few minutes he sunk into the mud and closed his eyes. It was cold, he was cold, he was stuck at the bottom of a hill, a struggle to get back to the men that needed him, a struggle to move, to climb. It seemed impossible and he couldn't help, but feel his thoughts drift back to her. With his eyes shut he felt a sleep come on him and the sound of battle drifted from him and quiet peace settled calming him and relieving his pain slightly.

Again it was her warmth he felt and remembered first. This time though he awoke in a bed with her leaning over him. When he force himself up she pressed an ever so warm hand on his chest and pushed him back down. A quiet smile and giggle escaping her lips.

He returned the smile and pushed up again, but she again pushed him back down. He swept her hand away and leaned up quick, his other free arm wrapping around her lower back, but she merely used her other hand to press a finger against his lips and this seemed to stop him. She was enough to stop him. No matter how much he wanted to kiss her now, no matter how much he could easily do it, no matter how much stronger he was he just couldn't move and let himself be pushed back down as she pressed her finger gently.

'Tough soldier like you could surely meet a challenge like me?' Stephanie had whispered when his head rested on the pillow again.

'Maybe,' Ranger began, 'Or perhaps I've met m match and don't want to force what I want on you. Maybe I'll wait for your permission.'

'You already have it or else last night wouldn't have happened. You just got to want it more than letting yourself be pushed back.' Stephanie smiled at him and leaned down close. 'Perhaps you just need a little motivation soldier. An inspiring speech from the General perhaps?' she half laughed and let her lips meet his.

Wrapping his arms around her he kissed back for a few minutes until she pulled away. He opened his eyes and looked up at her, but flinched when he saw her muddy bloody face and she looked shell shocked.

'I need you Captain.' She said and he looked at her confused. She was in the ditch with him, sitting across from him. 'We lost the battle Captain.'

For a moment he was confused then he awoke with a shock and breathing heavily. It was dark. The sky was aglow with fires from above and there was echoes in the distance of heavy fighting. Looking around him he found bodies from both his unit and the enemy littered the ditch. The bodies in heaps and even piled over him trapping him more.

Ranger forced himself to move again but the sheer weight of the dead on him, the cold and pain returned and he could only cry as he felt defeated. He could see the faces of young men he knew. Ones he had trained and led. Their empty eyes no longer full of colour haunted him. They seemed to look betrayed, scared, abandoned.

Ranger shut his eyes tight and shook his head to get the images and felling out. He had to stay focused, he had to get out of here. He pushed and struggled again with no success. He screamed out in fury until his voice became so hoarse all he could do was cry and sink deeper away. He had failed them. He had failed her.

Was this his end?


End file.
